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"But this storm might last a long time!" Vana said. "By the time we could land, we might be more than a thousand miles from our home!"
"More like three thousand miles," Sloosh said. "It could even be six thousand or ten thousand. Who knows?"
They were horrified. Tears ran down the cheeks of Vana and Deyv. The Yawtl didn't weep, but he looked as if he'd like to. Jum and Aejip didn't know what the cause of the grief was, but the dog whimpered, and the cat licked Vana's leg. Perhaps they thought that the approaching thunder and lightning were making their masters afraid.
After a while the roar and crash and dazzling whiteness drove them belowdecks. Deyv had thought that they might as well question Feersh now, but he decided that it would be well near impossible. It was far too noisy. Every time a lightning bolt exploded nearby, he jumped and then shook. He wouldn't have the concentration that the interrogation would require.
Even so, he regretted that he couldn't make her tell him where his soul egg was. It would be so soothing to hold it in his hand, to stroke it, to press it against his chest, to kiss it. It radiated comfort and courage, and by bending his thoughts around it, he could make the thunder and lightning seem remote, undangerous. At this time, he hated the witch more than he ever had. When the storm was over, he was going to make her reveal the hiding place of the eggs if he had to unravel her nerve by nerve.
He huddled in an i
Sloosh stood in a corner, his eyes closed. He might have been asleep or thinking about something remote from human affairs or even his own. The Yawtl was nervous, but he had no one to cling to, so he had gone into an embryonic position. His knees were against his chest, his arms around his knees, his head bent to touch them. When a bolt ripped the air close by, he started as if he had awakened in his mother's womb, hearing the call to be born.
Now and then Deyv managed to doze, only to be awakened trembling from sleep by a deafening and darkness-dispelling blast. He ate now and then, and when he had to relieve himself, he would go to the room where the witch was imprisoned. The others also did this to lower her morale. None of the captives were fed, though they were given water. If hunger weakened them, so much the better. They would have less resistance to the inquisition. And lying in their own excrement would make them more miserable.
After an almost intolerable length of time, the black thunder and his white sisters went away.
Observation from the top deck showed that the wind was still as strong. Moreover, they were just over a particularly mountainous region, and now the tharakorm dropped sickeningly in downdrafts or ca
Sloosh, who should have known better by now, insisted on telling the others what might happen.
"The downdrafts could take us all the way to the ground. The updrafts could take us so high we'd pass out or even die from lack of oxygen. And we might be dashed against a mountainside."
He couldn't understand why they told him to shut up.
"Ignoring the facts or wishing to be ignorant of them is unrealistic. However, as you wish. So ... I won't irritate you by telling you about these mountains."
"Good," Deyv said. After a while, though, he asked, "What about the mountains?"
"Ah, curiosity is stronger than fear. These mountains are part of a mighty range that extends from one ocean-shore to the other. It bisects this land mass. It'll make our return on foot very difficult. But we can bypass if by making a boat and traveling along ,the shore. Of course, that isn't without its perils. There are tsunamis and giant carnivorous fish and sea-mammals and hostile sapients. It might be better to take the land route. But if we do, we'll take much more time for passage. Also, the quakes make the range very perilous. Landslides, the earth opening under us, all sorts of unpleasant events."
"Shut up!" the others said in unison. The mountains fell behind, and the flight became more comfortable.
The wind slackened considerably, though Sloosh estimated by a little less than half. The band of light on the horizon widened a trifle, causing Sloosh to remark that he had seriously underestimated the wind velocity.
"It must have gotten up to one hundred fifty miles per hour at times, maybe even two hundred. In any event, we still can't take a chance on landing. However, the tharakorm haven't been fed since we took off, and eight sleep-times without food will result in some loss of the lifting gas. So, eventually, like it or not, we'll sink to the ground."
Deyv regretted that they'd thrown the corpses overboard instead of feeding them to the ship-creatures.
By then the stink of excrement and unwashed bodies was pervading the tharakorm. The captives were released, by couples, to clean up themselves and the floors. There was still enough drinking water to spare for washing the filthier parts of their bodies. Empty vases and bowls were set out to catch rainwater. So far, the food supply was sufficient. Even so, the captives were now fed only sparingly.
After the tenth sleep-time, the wind began dropping. In the meantime, the tharakorm were thoroughly searched. Even the yardarms were examined. They could find none of their soul eggs or the Archkerri's crystal. It was time for the questioning.
The slaves were tried first, though it was unlikely that they would know where the soul eggs were kept.
Feersh and .her children were present at the sessions so they could witness—in the witch's case, hear—
what was in store for them. The slaves were not tortured, since it wasn't worthwhile, but Deyv and his companions made plenty of references to their plans to do so.
As expected, the slaves had no idea where Feersh had put the eggs. Even when they were threatened with being thrown out a window, they insisted on this. The Yawtl was all for heaving them out anyway, but Deyv and Vana felt that they might be useful later on. Sloosh said nothing about this. He either didn't care or had not yet considered the problem.
Next, the two surviving sons of Feersh, Kiyt and Jeydee, and the daughter, Jowanarr, were worked upon.
All three normally wore floor-length robes, but they'd been naked when captured and had remained so.
They had no soul, eggs, since their original witch ancestors had been people whose eggs had "soured,"
as the saying went. Thus, they couldn't be threatened with the loss of these.
However, their lack of clothes when outside their cabins did humiliate them and make them feel powerless. As the first step in the interrogation, the Yawti passed water all over their bodies. This was, in witch culture, a peculiarly insulting deed. The slaves must have enjoyed this, since they'd had to undergo the same treatment whenever Feersh's brood wished to punish them. They had difficulty suppressing their smiles.
The slaves were then told to pummel the witch's children. They hesitated until Hoozisst said they'd be thrown out the window if they didn't obey. They must not beat them so severely, though, that they couldn't answer questions clearly. At first somewhat diffident, the slaves became enthusiastic after a while. The Yawtl called them off when he thought the three had had enough softening.
"Now," he said, "the hard part starts. I have in mind burning wooden splints under the fingernails first. If that doesn't work, I'll put burning wooden splints up your genitals. After that, I'll start getting tough."
The sons began weeping and sobbing and moaning that they did not know where the eggs were. Their mother did know, but she would never take them into her confidence about them. Jowanarr said nothing, nor had she cried out when being beaten.